I am a native of Grand Traverse County and graduated from St. Francis High School. I then attended Northwestern Michigan College. I have been married to my husband, Jim, for 21 years. We have four children: Ginger (19), Clinton (18), Lexi (16) and Amelia (14). We live on, own and operate the centennial Lautner farm. Mountain View Farm, near Cedar, was purchased by Jim’s great-grandfather in 1898. We raise beef cattle, pigs and chickens. We also grow tart cherries, field and sweet corn, small grains and hay. Jim’s grandfather, Emil Lautner, was instrumental in getting Cherryland Rural Electric Co-op in the Solon area in the 1940s. The Lautners have been proud members of Cherryland Electric Cooperative since it first became available to them. I am currently serving my fifth term as a County Commissioner in Leelanau County. I have worked very hard to keep the government small and accountable to taxpayers. I have worked on the budget and served as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. Being self-employed allows me the flexibility needed to serve you well as a Cherryland Electric Co-op board member. I promise you the same values I take to the board of commissioners in Leelanau County: Common sense, accountability and reliability. Good communication is essential in a board member. You can count on me to be available to listen to your concerns. As Cherryland members we expect dependable and affordable power. Keeping the co-op strong and competitive is my goal. Here are some of the boards and committees I have served on: vice-president of the Farm Bureau board of directors; Benzie/Leelanau Board of Health; president of the Cedar/Maple Valley Lions Club; Leelanau County Parks and Recreation Committee; active member of Holy Rosary Church in Isadore and a member of the Cherry Growers and Hamilton Farm Bureau co-ops.
